Key step It blocks other steps, or costs money if you miss it.

How to give your Dubai school withdrawal notice

Give your child’s school written notice as soon as you know your leaving date: fees are counted from the date of your written request, not the last day of attendance. Under the KHDA Registration and Refund Policy, a child enrolled for more than one month of a term owes the full term’s fees. Your parent contract may add its own notice period.

When
3 months to 3 months before your flight
Time
1 hour
Cost
Up to the full term’s fees, depending on your withdrawal date

Official source: KHDAFor the rules. You don’t do this step there.

Have ready

  • Parent contract
  • Student ID

How to do it

  1. Read your parent contract: notice period, term fees, refund rules.
  2. Fill in the school’s withdrawal form and send written notice as soon as you know your date; keep a copy. Fees are counted from the date of this request.
  3. Ask for an itemised fee statement and confirm the last day of attendance.
  4. Check the statement against the KHDA Registration and Refund Policy. As Gulf News reported in August 2026, for each term: enrolled two weeks or less, the school keeps one month’s fees; more than two weeks and up to one month, two months’ fees; more than one month, the full term’s fees.
  5. If your child will not start the next academic year, give notice early: Gulf News reports that the deposit is refunded only with at least 60 calendar days’ notice before the year starts. Confirm it with the school.

Watch out

  • Refunds follow the KHDA Registration and Refund Policy (effective 23 March 2026) and your contract.
  • Fees keep running until the school has your written request. Absence alone does not count as withdrawal, and the request cannot be backdated.
  • A school may hold the Transfer Certificate until fees are paid.
Copy-ready messagePaste it, fill the brackets, send
Subject: Withdrawal notice – [child’s name], [grade]

Dear [registrar],

We are relocating outside the UAE and will withdraw [child’s name] ([grade], student ID [number]). The last day of attendance will be [date].

Please send us:
– the withdrawal form;
– an itemised fee statement under our parent contract and the KHDA refund policy;
– a Transfer Certificate for a school outside the UAE, with any KHDA attestation it needs;
– copies of report cards and attendance records.

Thank you for everything you have done for [child’s name].

[Parent’s name]
[Mobile]
Short on time?What to do if you’re starting late

Ask the school for an exception for relocation and get any agreement in writing.

Questions people ask

How much notice does a Dubai school need?

It depends on your parent contract. Fees are counted from the date of your written request. Gulf News reports that deposits are refunded only with at least 60 calendar days’ notice before the academic year starts; confirm it with the school.

Will I get any school fees back?

It depends on how long your child was enrolled in the term. As Gulf News reported in August 2026: two weeks or less, the school keeps one month’s fees; up to one month, two months’ fees; more than one month, the full term’s fees. Ask the school for an itemised fee statement and check it against the KHDA policy.

Sources

Official: KHDA (Dubai private schools)

Also checked against: Dubai Scholars: a full term’s notice is common · KHDA Registration and Refund Policy (effective 23 March 2026) · Gulf News: Dubai school registration, deposit and refund rules (August 2026)

Outro is an independent guide, not a government service or legal advice. If an official page says something different, follow it and .